1. Field of the Invention
The present inventions are directed to a packaging system. In particular, the present inventions are directed to a suspension packaging system that includes a retention member having at least one pocket.
2. Description of the Related Art
Protective packaging devices are often used to protect goods from shocks and impacts during shipping or transportation. For example, when transporting articles that are relatively fragile, it is often desirable to cushion the article inside a box to protect the article from a physical impact to the box that can occur during loading, transit and unloading.
In most cases, some additional structure is used to keep the article from moving uncontrollably in the box and thus incurring damage. Such additional structures include paper or plastic packing material, structured plastic foams, foam-filled cushions, and the like. Ideally, the article to be packaged is suspended within the box so as to spaced from the walls defining the box, thus protecting the article from other foreign objects which may impact or compromise the outer walls of the box.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,973 discloses a number of inventions directed to suspension packaging assemblies which incorporate frame members and retention members. For example, many of the embodiments of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,973 include the use of a retention member formed of a resilient material. Additionally, some of the retention members include pockets at opposite ends.
In several of the embodiments disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,973, free ends of the frame members are inserted into the pockets of the retention member. The free ends of the frame member are then bent of folded to tension the retention member. Because the retention member is made from a resilient material, the retention member can stretch and thus provide a mechanism for suspending an article to be packaged, for example, within a box.